A New Wind
by ShipMistress
Summary: Hiccstrid - canonverse/post-HTTYD3 - POSSIBLE SPOILERS! - As time goes by, Astrid faces one of her most dangerous fights, and Hiccup can't help her. But in the end, the price was worth every risk, and the wind of change brings solace to healing wounds.


**So, this was another prompt I got on Tumblr. It said "How are you feeling today?", and this is what came out... *shrug* I hope someone likes it. :)**

**. o O o .**

**A New Wind**

Her screams were horrible.

With every single one, Hiccup felt as if his heart got ripped to threads, and the worst part was that there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was wait, hope, and, if he dared, hold her hand.

"You can do this," he said encouragingly, repeating the same mantra he'd said so many times before already. It felt bleak and foul by now, not as if it helped at all. And judging by Astrid's reaction, it didn't.

"Stop- uh! Stop saying that!," she pressed out, groaning in pain and clutching at his hand. Her words were followed by another pained outcry that nearly tore him apart.

"Then tell me what else I can do," he begged, desperate to do _something_ to help her. This was a nightmare, all of it. And there seemed to be no end.

Astrid shook her head with a mixture of sobbing and hysterical laughter. "You can't do anything. I-ngg… I've got to–"

"You could open the window, Chief," Astrid's aunt Helka, who also was the village's midwife, ordered. "Not for long, we want to keep it warm and cosy in here, but some fresh air would help us all, I think."

Hiccup nodded, carefully pried his hands loose from Astrid's iron grip, and hurried to do as he was told. He took a deep breath of the cool and fresh breeze, only now noticing how stuffy it was inside. Outside, the sun was already setting. How strange… hadn't it just been mid-morning? He hadn't even noticed how much time had passed; no wonder Astrid was so exhausted. He turned to look at her again where she lay on the bench by the fire, her swollen body trembling and covered in sweat.

"Mmh, yes," she whispered as he crouched back by her side. "I like the wind. It feels nice."

Hiccup almost chuckled. The wind. It was something of a codeword between the two of them. _The wind_ was the memory of soaring through the sky, of cool air tearing at their clothes.

The memory of their best friends.

But before those thoughts and memories could linger, Astrid asked out of the blue, "Ha-have you… already decided on… on a name?" Her voice was weak, eyes closed where her head was resting against his shoulder.

Torn between the urge to pull her closer and the fear of causing her even more pain, Hiccup just turned his head and buried his face in her entangled hair. "No, I haven't," he murmured. "I want us to do that together. We'll wait and see whether it's a boy or a girl, and then–"

Weak laughter shook her body, making her wince almost immediately. It didn't sound reassuring at all. "Oh, Hiccup…" It seemed as if she wanted to say more but held back, and Hiccup was grateful for it. He didn't want to hear it. That she might not be around to pick a name.

Instead, she just reached for his hand, her fingers shaking. "You'll pick a good one. I trust you. I just hope it's a boy..."

"Doesn't matter," Hiccup replied, even though he wasn't sure whether Astrid had heard it.

For a while, everything was quiet safe for Astrid's occasional cries or whimpering at a contraction, her body stiffening, and pain contorting her face.

"You can do this," he murmured again, almost despite himself. Giving birth was never easy, he'd learned that much by now. But if there was one woman strong enough then it was Astrid… right?

**. o O o .**

Time was a tricky thing. The hours seemed to stretch endlessly, dusk turning into night and into dawn again. But when it was over, Hiccup barely remembered how it had happened. Awestruck, he kneeled at Astrid's side, staring down at the tiny body in her arm. The girl was wrapped in a woollen blanket, only her head with the patch of dark hair visible.

"You did it," he breathed, stunned. "You really did it. And she's beautiful!"

Astrid was weeping, from exhaustion probably, or from how overwhelming everything was. For a short moment, she pulled the tiny girl closer to her chest, then let her head roll to the side. She was looking in his general direction, but her eyes seemed unable to focus on anything.

"Take her," she whispered, so low that he almost didn't hear her. "Take… I…"

Hiccup jumped as Astrid suddenly fell limp. One hand shot up to steady her body as it threatened to topple off the bench, the other toward the bundle in her arms. But as it was, at least the baby was still safe and secure in her mother's arms.

"Astrid? Astrid, wake up." Hiccup shook her shoulder, gently but firmly, but got no answer. "Astrid!"

"Let her sleep," Helka's voice sounded from behind him. Hiccup threw her a quick glance where she was washing bloodied sheets and towels. "She is exhausted…" She bit her lip, then shook her head and continued. "There's nothing you can do for her right now. Let her rest. All we can do is… is hope that that will be enough."

"W-what are you saying?" He didn't want to know the answer, didn't want to hear it. But he had to.

"Astrid, she… she lost a lot of blood. Like, _really_ a lot. I–" The elderly woman licked her lips, then her sad eyes met his directly. "I don't know whether she'll make it. This was one of the hardest births I ever witnessed. Astrid is strong, but… well, only time will show whether she's strong enough."

Hiccup felt as if the rug got pulled out from under his feet. "What?" he stammered. "No… No! This… this can't be happening. I _need_ her!"

"And that little girl needs her father," Helka reminded him gently. "There's nothing you can do for Astrid right now, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything."

Hiccup felt hollow inside, but nodded. His eyes darted back to the little girl still lying in Astrid's limp arms. Helka was right, his daughter needed him. Ever so carefully, he lifted the tiny body and took her into his arm. With his free hand, he reached for Astrid's once more, but Helka motioned him out. "Leave her to me. I'll move her to the bed, stay here to check on her, maybe see if I can feed her some soup. I'll take care of her," she promised.

For a while, Hiccup just sat on the steps in front of their new house on New Berk, his newborn daughter asleep in his arms. It was early morning, nobody awake yet, and Hiccup tried not to go crazy with worrying over Astrid. Helka was right, there was nothing he could do for her right now. But Gods, if he were to lose her now… then he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to cope.

The bundle in his arms stirred, and, pushing all those troubling thoughts aside, he focused all his attention on the nameless girl.

"Hey there, little one," he murmured as he lightly caressed her rosy cheek. Almost despite himself, a smile tugged at his lips as the girl yawned, her tiny pink lips forming a perfect O. Then she opened her eyes, somehow directly looking up at him, and Hiccup's breath caught in his throat.

She had the same blue eyes as her mother.

**. o O o .**

When Astrid woke, she had trouble remembering where she was. This wasn't her room in her parent's house… was it? Her mind was dazed, her thoughts heavy. She tried to move, but everything hurt. What had happened? Had she been injured? Wounded in a fight?

For a minute or three, she just lay still, gathering strength and trying to get order into her head. She knew this room. Right… it was her and Hiccup's bedroom in their new house. There were the trunks with their clothes, a shelve with a few of Hiccup's books, and her beloved axe hanging from its hook on the wall. And there was the crib that Hiccup had build for–

From one moment to the other, Astrid's mind became crystal clear. Her baby! Groaning, she lifted her head, trying to look around. But before she could move for real, there was shifting on the large bed next to her and a wonderfully familiar voice calling her name.

"Astrid?"

He sounded sleepy, but only for the fraction of a second. Then his head appeared above her, his pale features lighting up with a relieved smile. "Oh Gods, Astrid, you're awake!"

"Uh, yeah, I think so?" she mumbled, already feeling her strength dwindling again. "What… where is she?" It was all that really mattered. Her little baby girl. She hadn't imagined it all, hadn't she? No, certainly not. Feeling her warm weight in her arms, that had to have been real.

"She's here, don't worry," Hiccup reassured her. He reached to the side, and a moment later carefully placed their sleeping daughter onto her chest.

Astrid couldn't help but stare at her, hard pressed to wrap her head around the fact that this wasn't a dream. She wasn't just an idea anymore, not their faceless child growing inside her, but _real!_

With trembling fingers, Astrid reached for her, caressing her back, her head, her face. "She's beautiful," she sobbed, overwhelmed.

"She really is," Hiccup agreed. "Just like you."

Astrid laughed. She wanted to swat his arm, but didn't feel as if she had the strength for it. Instead, she looked back at her daughter, at the tiny nose, the patch of reddish brown hair. She really was beautiful. And yet…

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She didn't dare to meet Hiccup's eyes, didn't want to see the possible disappointment there. "I'm sorry that it's not a boy. But we–"

"What?" Hiccup interrupted her.

Astrid pressed her lips together, but didn't fight him when he turned her head to look at him. "Astrid, I don't care whether it's a boy or a girl!"

"But you need an heir! We can try again, and I'm sure… I mean…"

"No!"

The tone in Hiccup's voice surprised her and made her look at him after all. There was determination in his eyes, in an intensity she'd barely ever seen before. "But…" she began, but Hiccup cut her off right away.

"I don't care whether my heir is a boy or a girl. I meant what I said, it doesn't matter. We both know that women can lead just as well as men. She is my firstborn, and my heir. I…" He gulped, and averted his eyes after all.

Touched, Astrid relaxed a little, hummed with her hand on her daughter's back. She wasn't surprised by his decision, not really. But it was good to have it settled nonetheless. "Will she make it though?" she mused, absentmindedly. "She's so tiny, so small…"

At that, Hiccup chuckled, if reluctantly. "Don't worry. She's perfectly healthy. And one day, she'll be the strongest of them all."

Astrid joined in on the chuckling, giggling weakly, and almost missed Hiccup turning serious again.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked, weirdly earnest.

She could feel that the question meant more to Hiccup than just polite conversation, so she took the time to listen into her body. "A little weak?" she eventually replied. "Not yet ready to chase after a flock of sheep, at least." She chuckled. "And everything kinda hurts. All my muscles are sore, as if I've worked out for far too long. But all in all… I feel okay?"

Hiccup nodded, sighing. She gave him a confused look, which he returned with a pained one. He seemed reluctant to say more, but in the end, gave in to the silent question in her eyes.

"Astrid… I meant what I said. We don't need to get more children, or not actively aim for more at least."

"Well, that's not really in our hands," Astrid replied, bemused. "Unless you want to refrain from ever having sex again? Or was that you telling me you don't find me attractive anymore?" It was meant as a joke, and judging by Hiccup's brief snort and rolling of his eyes, he took it as such as well. But then, he turned serious again.

"Astrid," he murmured, reaching for her free hand and idly playing with her finger. "I'm not sure how much you remember… But you almost _died _giving birth to her. You were unconscious for over two days, and I… I can't stand the thought of losing you. I love you, more than ever, and… Well, I can't imagine a world without you in it."

Smiling at the quote, Astrid gave her husband a loving look. "You won't lose me," she promised. She tugged at his arm until he lay down beside her and let her cuddle into his arms. She knew that this wouldn't be the last word exchanged about that topic, but she didn't want to argue with him, not now. Instead, she just focused on the moment, on them all three cuddling together, she, Hiccup, and their little baby daughter. Whose name she still didn't know.

"What did you name her?" she asked, shuffling to encourage him to lay his arm around them both.

"I…" he began, and Astrid could feel how he turned a little self-conscious.

"What, is it that bad?" she teased. She knew that he was prone to ridiculous names, but she'd also meant what she'd told him before. She trusted him not to pick an awful name for their child. That was a tradition, New Berk didn't need anymore.

"I… don't think so?" he said, laughing a little nervously. "It's… Well, it comes from a faraway language originated somewhere deep in the South. Fishlegs found that book in a trader's vault a while back, and, well… I thought it fits."

She turned, to give him a curious look. But instead of directly replying, Hiccup reached for the girl's miniscule hand and carefully placed it against Astrid's cheek. Closing her eyes, she hummed. That felt good.

"Her name is Zephyr," Hiccup murmured. "It means _light wind_ or _breeze._ A little odd, I guess, but I thought–"

"No, it's good," Astrid interrupted him, smiling up at him. Then she glanced back at her little girl, at Zephyr, and couldn't help grinning. The old stronger winds might be gone. But certainly, this new lighter wind would be enough to keep them occupied. "It's perfect."

**. o O o .**

**So, yeah... Hope you like it ;) **


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